Meaningful engagement in activity is associated with the maintenance of health and wellbeing, but reduced activity participation is common among persons with dementia. Family care-givers play an important role in engaging their relatives with dementia in activities but little is known about their perception of occupational engagement. This study aimed to examine care-givers’ perception of occupational performance of their relatives from three aspects: person, occupation and environment. Adopting a qualitative methodology, semi-structured and in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 family care-givers. Care-givers were also asked to document the activity patterns of their relative, using the Activity Card Sort Hong Kong version (ACS-HK). The ACS-HK findings suggested that high-demand leisure activities were mostly retained (61%) while instrumental activities of daily living were the least retained (37%). Qualitative analysis revealed that care-givers’ perception of activity participation was intertwined with their motives and behaviours to get their relatives engaged in activities. Care-givers acknowledged occupational engagement as a means of maintaining wellness and used various strategies to encourage their relative's activity participation. Apathy and passivity, however, are difficult to deal with. Also, activity decisions appear to depend on the availability of support resources and a balance between safety concern and risk-taking. Clinical practitioners could assist care-givers by suggesting activity strategies and providing support resources for continued engagement of their relative in activities.

Thailand has been severely affected by AIDS/HIV. The epidemic has undermined the health of the population of working age, placing stress on intergenerational relations and threatening the social fabric. Older people in families affected by the disease, although not the main victims, have experienced major changes in relationships with their adult children and grandchildren. However, the availability of antiretrovirals has transformed HIV infection from a lethal to a chronic disease. Intergenerational relationships are analysed with data from a quantitative survey of HIV-infected adults currently receiving antiretroviral treatment in Northern Thailand. The introduction of antiretroviral treatment has eased the pressure on families. Where HIV-infected adults are more dependent on their older parents, it is because they are single and childless or single parents. While ageing parents remain a source of support for their adult children, the introduction of antiretroviral treatment has radically changed the prospects for HIV-infected adults and their regained health allows them to work, take care of their family and fulfil their filial duties as expected in Thai society. If Thailand's original aim in introducing health policies in this area was to curtail the HIV epidemic, its positive impact on intergenerational relations is an additional benefit.

In this paper, the impact of lifecourse family and labour market experiences on household incomes of older people in Belgium and the United Kingdom (UK) is analysed. To this end, panel data and life-history information from the Panel Study of Belgian Households and the British Household Panel Survey are combined. The results show that old-age income is indeed influenced by previous lifecourse experiences, and that differences between Belgium and the UK can be explained in terms of (the development over time of) welfare regime arrangements. Family experiences have a larger impact on old-age incomes in ‘male-breadwinner’ Belgium, while in Britain labour market events are more important. As social transfers in Britain are more aimed at poverty prevention and less at income replacement, a ‘scarring effect’ of unemployment persists even into old age. Also, the more of one's career is spent in blue-collar work or self-employment/farming, the lower the income in old age. A new finding is that, notwithstanding the high level of ‘de-commodification’ achieved by the Belgian welfare state, this effect turns out to be significantly stronger in Belgium than in the UK. Compared to the market, the welfare state is hence a more efficient ‘mechanism’ of stratification for incomes in old age.

Previous research shows that socio-economic status (SES) identity, also referred to as perceived or subjective social status, is shaped by objective measures of status, socio-cultural influences and psychological attributes and predicts current and future wellbeing. Prior studies, however, have not examined whether older adults reassess their SES identity over time. In this study, we use two assessments of subjective social status measured six years apart in a sample of older Taiwanese adults to: (a) determine the degree to which respondents adjust their perceptions of social rank; and (b) identify the characteristics of individuals who are most likely to revise their assessments. We find that many older Taiwanese adults reassess their SES identity, but most respondents show small to moderate levels of change. Females, more highly educated respondents, and those who have a positive economic outlook tend to revise their subjective social status upward relative to their respective counterparts; those who become widowed during the period adjust their rankings downward compared with those who do not become widowed. These findings suggest that SES identity may be dynamic, highlighting the importance of collecting information on SES identity at multiple points in the lifecourse.

A desire to ‘return’ or ‘pay back’ past care has been identified as a potential motivator of support provided by adult children to their ageing parents. The purpose of this study is to examine whether, how and in what ways adult children interpret and apply the concept of delayed reciprocity in filial relationships. Twenty-eight men and women supporting one or both ageing parent(s) in a Western Canadian city participated in a qualitative study of filial responsibility. Data were analysed interpretively, using thematic coding, contextualised reflection and guiding questions. Findings suggest delayed reciprocity is limited as an interpretive framework for describing parent support. Overall, comments reflected qualification or rejection of ‘paying back’ in the sense of a filial contract. Delayed reciprocity appears for most participants to symbolise imbalance, expectedness or obligation, and a lack of affection. In response, participants tended to reject delayed reciprocity in favour of interpretations emphasising mutuality, family role duties and reciprocated love. Findings are discussed in relation to interpretive purposes, symbolic meanings of parent support, participant characteristics and cultural contexts.

As the population in most developed countries continues to age, there is an increasing concern about its effect on traffic safety, resulting in calls to tighten the licensing renewal policies for mature drivers. This study examines the licensing requirements in five Canadian provinces and their respective vehicle collision rates for ageing drivers. Contrary to expectation, we find a positive correlation between the stringency of the licensing system and the mean crash rates. Therefore, increasing the mandatory testing and licensing requirements is not recommended at this time.

The authors investigated generativity – the concern in establishing and guiding the next generation – as a mediator of the relationship between family business owners' age and succession in family businesses. Data came from 155 family business owners in Germany from different industries between the ages of 26 and 83 years. Results showed that age was positively related to generativity, and that generativity, in turn, positively influenced an objective measure of family succession. Generativity fully mediated the positive relationship between age and family succession. The findings suggest that generativity is an important psycho-social construct for understanding ageing, careers and succession in family business settings.

In India, although notions of ageing and care are changing, there is a continued preference among families for home-based care of elderly relatives. The legislative policies and cultural practices that shape this preference will be examined in this paper with specific reference to aged-care facilities and the 2007 Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act. Using qualitative data from a study on dementia care in urban India it will be shown how the Act and old-age homes are understood and experienced by Indian families and key service providers. In juxtaposing policy and practice it will be argued that while notions of care are being redefined by processes like migration and urbanisation, the preference for home care remains, indicating that existing services need to be re-oriented and expanded to support families in providing this care.